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Yesterday, I received an email from the editor-in-chief of a publishing house. This was a result of a novel pitch I did at OWFI 2015. I hand’t planned to pitch, but something inspired me to go for it. I wasn’t ready. I had every expectation of making a fool of myself. The interview went well, because the editor was professional and just an excellent person. (I know this because I watched how he treated other people at the conference, and was impressed.)Now, I can tell you that this type of thing makes my day. I would be willing to bet that most writers do the happy dance when a traditional publishing house shows even the slightest interest in your writing. What do you think? Am I wrong?You might ask, which story I pitched.I’m not sure I want to talk about it here and now, but I will say that as I proof read it one last time, I realize it is some of my best writing in 33 years of serious effort. Maybe it will be a good fit with the publishing house in question. Maybe not.But reading the manuscript caused my adrenaline to race through my veins.How cool is that.

I just sent the first story of the Grendel Uprising series to one of my favorite editors, Samantha LaFantasie. She does very thorough work and does it without delay. As always, I am a bit nervous to see what a professional editor has to say. There will be a lot of needed corrections, I am sure. Some of it will likely be grammar. Some will be story logic or consistency issues. It still amazes me that I can go over a manuscript again and again and again and then some more, review what beta readers found, and finish revisions only to have the editor find things that need fixing.I learned the hard way that paying a qualified editor is worth every penny. Each story in the Grendel Uprising series will be professionally edited, and when I combine them into omnibus editions, there will be one final round with the pros. This may seem like a great expense, but it isn’t so bad spread out over time.Proof of Death will be available on Amazon as a digital book by the end of June if not sooner. I really hope you like it.

During the incredibly rainy month of May, I worked on the first of several serial short stories that have been dying to get out. This has been a lot of fun to write, but has been the genesis of serious distraction. First off, I started to develop a pen name for the project, mostly because I have always wanted to have a pen name. The reasons vary, and are the subject of another blog. Let’s just say I doubled my work for the same results.Like many writers, I have a regular job and a family–lots of important life choices to make. Play with the kids, yes. Pay the bills, yes. Maintain twice as many social media sites, no. Why start over when promoting and marketing is already hard enough? Why not take advantage of the modest success I have experienced thus far as a writer. When I began working with a pen name I realized the colossal amount of work I have already put into this web page and publishing project. So I decided to publish my short stories under my name, without partitioning each genre to a separate name. The genre of my Grendel Uprising series is science fiction, with a twist. One of my universe building projects has focused on a society where there are planets dedicated to various forms of recreation, like a golf planet or a NASCAR racing planet. The most common theme in this Commonwealth, are various historical reenactment societies. Grendel Uprising focuses on a planet dedicated to an imitation of 9th Century Earth, specifically, the rise of Vikings.This allows for adventures that feel a lot like time travel without the paradox issues common to time travel stories. It also creates interesting worlds where the historical reenactments have gone off course. Hello creativity, hello fun.The first story in the Grendel Uprising series (of rather long short stories) is schedule to be released in June. The advantage of shorter works of fiction, is that the editorial expenses are more manageable, since most price schedules are based on length of the work. This should allow me to put out the series monthly while still working on my novel length projects.I am really excited about this new era in story telling. Please take a moment to visit Grendel Uprising and my bibliography page for my current novels.Thanks,Scott

It will come as no surprise that I dream of earning a living with words; writing full time; going pro and whatnot. As such, I revisit the idea of writing under various pen names in various genres. I read widely, why not write in the same manner. The idea of using pen names is purely for reader convenience. When someone searches for Scott Moon on Amazon, that awesome person knows to expect science fiction adventure, urban fantasy, and a little horror.A reader would not expect literature fiction or political fiction, or let’s say erotica. Would I consider (or have I tried) writing either of these genres. Sure. None of it is fit for sharing at this point. Any writer who wants desperately to become a full time, professional author, must consider writing romance, even if said writer drops the idea. Romance writers make money. I even read and enjoy reading it from time to time.Amazon allows for authors to publish under three names on one account (the last time I checked). Currently, I am not using a pen name, but I think there is one in my future. Perhaps it will be a different type of science fiction or horror or something else.What are your thoughts on pen names? Do you currently write under a pen name? Do you plan on trying this out? If you have experience in this matter, what are the pros and cons?Thanks for visiting my blog. My currently published fiction can be found here.

Stephen King has a way of drilling a phrase or detail into your head. The last time I wrote a blog post, it was “Travlin Jack.” I discussed how the use of this phrase and others could be analyzed through the lens of Book Architecture (a new literary technique by Stuart Horwitz). As The Talisman progresses and Jack Sawyer heads west with his werewolf buddy, each Series (as Horwitz calls certain repeating story details) varies in usage, meaning, and intensity. As Wolf might say, “It’s happening right here and now, wolf!”The “Travlin Jack” and “My Mother is Dying” series/mini-themes continue to find their way into Jack’s internal dialogue, but less frequently. Somewhere around chapter fourteen, Jack begins to struggle with a recurring memory (..Jack was six, Jack was six, when everyone lived in California and no one lived anywhere else…who plays those changes…) of his father and Morgan Sloat discussing Jerry Bledsoe, a maintenance man they employ. In the memory of a six year old, part of the conversation about a jazz album mingles with a growing understanding of what happened to Jerry Bledsoe.“Who plays those Jerry Bledsoe changes?”The fate of the maintenance man becomes a metaphor for unintended consequences. Jack sees every catastrophe as something he caused by his actions in the Territories. This mini-theme, or Series, dominates the “plot” for several chapters. Mr. King likes taking the scenic route, which is probably why I enjoy his novels!(Also, Jerry Bledsoe in the real world, the right here and now, God pound it, not in the Territories, is an American author and journalist according to Wikipedia. This could mean nothing, but I find it terribly interesting.)Today I am deep into chapter twenty-one of The Talisman, enjoying every audiobook minute, and not for the first time. The “Travlin Jack, My Mother is Dying, and Jerry Bledsoe” Series remain powerful and vivid, but Wolf has taken center stage with the changing of the moon.“You’re the herd now, Jack. A wolf who harms his herd is damned…”The interesting thing about the link between Book Architecture and Stephen King’s work, is that Mr. King is the champion of organic writers (seat of the pants, story excavators, and so forth). If you Read Blueprint Your Best Seller and Book Architecture, both books provide useful tools to coming to grips with a long, winding first draft. What do writers say? First get it written, then get it right?For several years I have struggled to understand and wield story structure more intentionally. I love the concepts in Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell and Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. What I am coming to discover, is that the entire process is faster and smoother for me if I write like King advocates and then revise and structure later. Thirty-three years of serious writing brings me to the method I currently use. In essence, it is all about story–some entertain, others do not.Thanks for stopping by. I’d love to read your comments. Presently, I have five books available here, if you are interested and enjoy a good read.

There is nothing like attending a writing conference and mixing it up with other writers. I was going to put up an article last night, but had some issues with the wifi connection. …And so wrote on Dragon Land instead. This, my friends, is a good thing. Anyone who has written a series knows the trials and travails of bringing it all together for one last hoorah and parking the plot satisfactorily.In 2012, I attended my first conference and felt young and full of energy. This is it. What I’ve always wanted to do. This is my bestest most coolest daydream, I thought. Still love the feeling and still get it.Today, though I was not planning to pitch a novel, I decided to go for it (Dark House Press). All day I had been remembering that first conference and how the most magical part, and the most terrifying, was that I pitched a novel. Win, lose, or draw–I love to pitch ideas. Even if the agent or editor says no (or calls the law to have me removed, or perhaps sicks an attack dog on me) I still had them as a captive audience of one for twelve minutes.Bam! I just told someone a story.My only regret so far is that I missed the presentation on becoming a Hybrid author.No worries.I’ve always planned to self-publish some of my writing and seek an agent and traditional publishing arrangement for other work. So from now to eternity I will have a book completely ready every year for pitching and submission, no matter how many self-published books I produce–not so much because I am chasing the a big advance or whatever, but because I love the process.It helps to have a day job at this point. In Scott Moon Fantasy-world, I write full time, teach, travel, edit, adventure, and meet fabulously creative people of numerous mediums. There will come a time when I can retire, or at least scale bag the big obligations, and I want to be ready when opportunity rears its beautiful head.How about you?

About four months ago, I wrote a post requiring a lot of humility and courage, because if my kids ever read it, they will know I chewed tobacco for years and years. Perhaps I was being a good parent by not allowing them to see the huge mistake I made and kept making. Either way, I never looked forward to seeing the disappointment or even anger in their eyes.I have not touched any form of nicotine or soda, diet or otherwise, this year. If I ever claim this is a result of my iron determination and strength of character, please remind me that it is in fact a miracle and a blessing. I attempted to quit so many times before. I tried everything I could. Apparently, January 1, 2015 was just my day to really make a change for the better.Each day was hard for a while, then it got a bit easier except for trigger events, like having to work a shooting call or an abduction. The thing about any addiction is the total irrationality of the problem:feeling bad? Make it better with chew. Win the lottery? Celebrate with chew. Too tired to make the drive home? Pop that can open and get some nicotine power in your veins. Chewing tobacco is your friend. It’s not that disgusting.So I am doing well, only struggling a few times a week, more or less.This weekend I will attend the OWFI writers conference in Oklahoma City. Guess what I did a lot when I was there on two previous occasions. That’s right, chew on the drive, chew all the time that I don’t have to worry about my family seeing me do it. Chew because I am happy to be a writer. Chew because I am stressed about pitching a novel.Please wish me luck. I don’t want to fall off the wagon. If you have beaten your personal addiction, congratulations and God bless you. If you are struggling, understand that it can be done.

Like any good author in his mid-forties, I have read The Talisman. Being me, I’ve also listened to it. Two things drive me to write about this book, one of King’s best in my opinion. The first is that I am listening to the audio book again. Frank Muller is the narrator; his incredible performance may be responsible for my ever-increasing love of the audiobook medium, but I digress.At the same time, I have been reading an ARC of Book Architecture by Stuart Horwitz. He also wrote Blueprint Your Bestseller, so I knew I was going to learn a lot of good technique in his most recent work.So here it is, the laydown, the straight dirt. The Talisman contains so many powerful Series that listening to it while studying Book Architecture seems like proof of divine intervention, or at least some kind of fate. (If I can pull from one of my recent blog articles–The Pale Horseman–“Destiney is everything.”) There is a reason King rose to the top of popular fiction. He can make multiple timelines and back story dance, two things that few writers do well. The secret, whether Mr. King and Mr. Straub know it or not, is in their mastery of Series.According to Horwitz, a Series is something that repeats and varies in a way that develops the theme or a character arc. It something like a “through-line” but for some reason I am able to get my head around the concept of Series easier (at least the way he explains it). When a writer does a good job of foreshadowing, he is using Series.I am not really doing Book Architecture justice at this point, but will try to review this very interesting writing tool. The examples that Mr. Horwitz uses really show how an emotionally powerful story uses Series, whether intentionally or not.I can’t help but think my writing life would have been a lot easier had I known the concept years ago. (Now I know it, but must fully understand and master it–can anyone say practice, practice, practice?)My favorite Series in The Talisman is what I call the Travlin Jack Series. If you have read the novel, then you must be familiar with this often repeated phrase. Speedy Parker, Jack’s mentor, says it all the time. There are many Itertations of this Series (repetitions and foreshadows). The Travlin Jack Series is an easy example, because it obviously means more than hello.Jack is going to travel between worlds and across the United States during his adventure. The catchy phrase runs like a lifeline through all of Jack and Speedy’s scenes.”Why I got me some company. Good ole Travilin Jack. Little Travlin man he is. Speedy done some travlin his-self, he has…” (This is an approximate quote from memory; no offense to Mr. King or Mr. Straub if I got it wrong. I figure there is no harm done, since I am praising their story craft from here to there. And, I’d like to do some travlin myself, I sure would, see the Territories that’s true.)Another Series is the My Mother is Dying Series. This has an obvious cause and effect on the plot. There are several other Series that I have began to hear clearly as I listen. Currently I am on chapter four and The Talisman Series has just been identified.This series will end, you guessed it, when Jack finds the Talisman, learns what it is for, and uses it. A lot of really bad Stephen King stuff will happen to Traviln Jack along the way.Stephen King is a self-admitted, non-planner. His book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is still one of my favorites, even though writing by the seat of my pants had gotten me in a mess of trouble from time to time.Perhaps Book Architecture will allow me to write freely again and still make sense of the imaginary places and the people I find when I hop-scotch across my own version of the Territories.Please leave a comment on what you think of The Talisman. What is your favorite character, scene, phrase, item or place? If you have questions about Book Architecture I would be happy to share my experience (though I do recommend reading the book yourself as well). Or, if neither The Talisman nor Book Architecture interests you (gasp!) please say hello. I’d love to hear from you.Last but not least, I just learned that in 2014, King and Straub announced that they are working on a third book in the Talisman trilogy. This, dear readers, is good news!

Image URL from Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pale-Horseman-Warrior-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B002RI91BW Welcome.This is my third blog post regarding The Pale Horseman (book two in the Saxon series by Bernard Cornwell). I began with observations on character and the complex protagonist that is Uhtred of Bebbanburg. In summary, I found that while I liked Uhtred from the first book, I was developing a strong desire to punch him in the face, or worse yet, quit reading. I persevered, which is a good thing, as I will discuss later.The second article on The Pale Horseman discusses the voice acting skills of Jonathan Keeble. Summary: he’s awesome. Very powerful and expressive.Now we have arrived at the payoff. Why describe the story arch and character development as a payoff? That makes it sound shady, doesn’t it?Bernard Cornwell developed all of the characters in this book honestly, except for some of the cookie cutter priests–minor characters without much spine or depth. But I digress.Uhtred, Son of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, is a twenty-year-old saxon raised from the age of ten by Danes (called Vikings when they are raiding from the sea). He’s seen his father die and fought in the shield wall. Over the years, his survival has depended on his own strength and cunning. He is proud, violent, and a pagan like the Danes who raised him. The tender years of his youth were spent looting churches and killing priests.Why wouldn’t he be a total barbarian? (I’ve always liked barbarians in stories, but Bernard Cornwell has a talent for showing how brutal life was in the 9th century, regardless of who you were or what God / gods you worshipped.)By the end of The Pale Horseman Uhtred earned much more of my compassion and made me want to see more of his journey. I cared about the people he cared about, admired his strength and courage, and began to hope he will reclaim his ancestral home of Bebbanburg.Readers who enjoy George R. R. Martin (The Game of Thrones) or Ken Follet (The Pillars of Earth) won’t go wrong picking up a copy of The Pale Horseman.

Some weeks are harder than others–full of bad news and unexpected expenses; you know, dropping your smart phone in a puddle during a rainstorm, learning that the vehicle you just paid off has a cracked radiator, power steering leak, and main oil leak. You work long hours and get nowhere.But as we all know, life is full of ups and downs. The older I get, the easier it is to recognize that better times are just around the corner.I have been struggling with several major writing projects and revisions. Thus, I was totally jazzed when an advanced reading copy of Book Architecture: How to Plot and Outline without Using a Formula, by Stuart Horwitz, arrived in my in box.You’ve got mail!Yes. Yes I do.As you might remember from Blueprint Your Bestseller: Organize and Revise Any Manuscript with the Book Architecture Method, also by Stuart Horwitz, there are three foundational concepts used in book architecture: scene, series, and theme. I remember reading Blueprint and then watching World War Z. The plot points were perfect and I suddenly had a better understanding of why I loved the movie so much.I knew about scenes, and thought I knew about theme. Horwitz explained both in a way that opened my eyes to new things. And I got to learn about the series concept, which was the first new thing in books about writing that I have seen for a while.I haven’t decided if Blueprint made writing easier, but I know it helped me grow and improve. I’ve never shied away from working hard, as long as I’m working smart. Blueprint definitely gave me a lot more bang for my buck, as in, the time I invest in every novel. I can barely wait to read Book Architecture and apply it to my current project(s).

In the previous post, I discussed the characterization of Uhtred, Son of Uhtred, of Bebbanburg and his tendency to act rashly. Today, I want to switch it up a bit and discuss a topic near and dear to my heart–the audiobook version of The Pale Horseman as narrated by Jonathan Keeble.I listened to the sample of Jamie Glover reading this book, and thought it sounded good–a style and cadence of speech that I could listen to for a long time. Ultimately, this is the litmus test for audiobook readers.The version I am listening to, however, is read by Jonathan Keeble, who burst into my favorites list like an axe wielding Viking of the vocal world. He doesn’t just read, he acts. It really sound like he is putting body-English and facial expression into the microphone.This blog article is particularly meaningful today, to me at least, because I am listening to the final version of one of my own books, Son of Orlan. Most writers dream of seeing their books in print. That definitely gets me jazzed up like a monkey full of Starbucks go-juice, but hearing a talented professional narrate my stories–well, it’s like going to Disney Land after winning the world series.Many, many times I have blogged about my love of the audiobook medium. Why so serious?In the past, I’ve talked about convenience and how great it is to listen to a book on a long drive. Yes, yes, that is true. But there is a lot more to my obsession. I think the spoken word is good for writers; storytelling began as an oral tradition of great importance to the tribe. When done correctly, the rhythm, range, and tension of the narrator brings good (and sometimes bad) things to life.All of this, I have said before. This morning, it occurs to me that there is a much simpler explanation. When I hear an audiobook, I slide effortlessly into the story world. It relaxes and excites me, encourages visualization, and takes me away like a genre-hopping time machine.Audiobooks are great. I hope you will try one out, and if you do, look for my top seven list of great narrators (which is kinda-sorta in order by the voice actor, not the actual stories):The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell (as narrated by Jonathan Keeble) (The Last Kingdom is book one in this series),The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen (as narrated by Henry Strozier),Cop Town by Karin Slaughter (as narrated by Kathleen Early),The Pillars of Earth Ken Follet (as narrated by John Lee),A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (as narrated by Roy Dotrice),Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian (as narrated by Simon Vance),Wool by Hugh Howey (as narrated by Amanda Sayle)If you listen to the above series, I am confident that you will share my deep appreciation for the spoken word! (I have no financial affiliation with any of the above works, just a deep affinity for awesomeness and the need to share what I like with you, dear reader. If they wanted to send me a check, I wouldn’t say no, but I ain’t holding my breath:)I also have three audiobooks available thanks to the talented new voice actor and musician, Reece Allan Morse: Dragon Badge, Dragon Attack, and also Enemy of Man. Son of Orlan will be available soon.The more traditional versions of my science fiction and urban fantasy books are available here. The Kindle editions are available through Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime as well.Thanks for stopping by,Scott Moon

The Photo url is from Bernard Cornwell’s web site: http://www.bernardcornwell.net/books/the-pale-horseman-2/
The Pale Horseman (book two in the Saxon series by Bernard Cornwell) continues the bloody life chronicles of Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Why does this matter? Is this just another book review?Let me address the second question first. This is the start of a book review; I will be sharing my thoughts as I venture through Cornwell’s books. He is one of my favorite writers of historical fiction. Today, while listening to the audiobook on my way to a second job, several things struck me about The Pale Horseman.This matters because Uhtred is a complex protagonist. He has many traits that are common to heroes in other books: strength, bravery, a vicious brand of loyalty, and a sense of justice that should make him easy to appreciate. Yet he is not always likeable. In fact, I would say I dislike him more often than not–and yet I continue to listen to the story.The Pale Horsemen starts with Uhtred foolishly drawing his sword on his rival, Ealdorman Odda the Younger, during a religious ceremony, thus offending King Alfred and violating the king’s laws. Uhtred is not dumb. He should know better, but his “monstrous pride,” as Cornwell describes it, constantly gets Uhtred in trouble. By the end of chapter one, he has committed an unjustifiable murder (both by modern standards and the laws of the time) and put himself and his household in danger of retribution. Why did he commit such a crime? Because he was pissed of and full of, you guessed it, pride.This is good for moving the plot and keeping “tension on every page,” as Donald Maass, author of Writing the Breakout Novel, advocates. It is not good for my feelings about the protagonist. I’d like for someone to take Uhtred in hand and teach him some humanity. Yes, he is essentially a Viking and their moral code at the time of the story is different than mine. Yes, he is true to his character and possesses many positive traits. I still struggle with the heartless brutality of Uhtred. It is kind of a love-hate relationship with this character that drives me to read on. So in the grand scheme of things, Bernard Cornwell has again proved himself a master writer.Please check back for future articles on The Pale Horseman as I strive to improve my writing, and possibly share some useful information on anyone thinking of reading the Saxon series.My science fiction and urban fantasy novels are current available here.